Marine reverse gear



Dec. 11, 1934. c, BARTQN r AL 1,983,835

MARINE REVERSE GEAR Filed April 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 11, 1934. I c BARTON ET AL 1,983,835

MARINE REVERSE GEAR Filed April 25, 1951 5' Sheets-Sheet 2 c. H. BARTON ET AL 1,983,835

Dec. 11, 1934.

' MARINE REVERSE GEAR Filed April 25, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 11, 1934 i UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE MARINE REVERSE GEAR Clarence H. Barton and Charles Drexler, Indianapolis, Ind., assignors to L. G. S. Devices Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 25, 1931, Serial No. 532,751

9 Claims. (01. 74-379) This invention relates to improvements in end of the crank shaft 7 and a transverse pin 11 marine reverse gears and it consists of the matsecures these shafts together. The shaft 11 conters hereinafter described and more particularly stitutes the driving shaft of the gear and is prov pointed out in the appended claims. vided at its rear end with relatively short external The primary object of the invention is to proclutch teeth 12 and is provided at its front end 5 vide a simple and efficient reverse gear for motor with relatively long external splines 13. boats and the like which includes a means per- 14 indicates the tail or driven shaft of the gear mitting an overrunning of the driven shaft of which is formed midway of its ends with longithe gear when the driving shaft of the gear tudinally spaced sets of clutch teeth 15 and 16. rotates at a speed slower than that of the driven Said teeth are full depth teeth and connecting 10 shaft. the same are dedendum teeth 17. The teeth A further object of the invention is to provide 16 and 17 are each cut or otherwise formed a gear of this kind which when in forward, leaves as a continuous tooth. Forward of the teeth 15 all gears employed in providing reverse, passive is the collar receiving portion 18 of said shaft 15 and non-rotating, thus providing a more silent which portion includes an extension 19 of reduced 15 mechanism with no substantial churning and rediameter having a hushed bearing in the rear sulting heating of the lubricant in'the easing of end of the driving shaft 11. To the rear end of the gear. the shaft 14 is splined a flanged fitting 20 for at- These objects of the invention as well as others, tachment to the propeller shaft of the boat.

together with the many advantages thereof will In the tubular extension 8 of the rear wall 5 20 more fully appear as we proceed with our specifiis located a retainer 21 for an antifriction bearcation. ing 22 in which shaft 14 is journalled. A stuffing In the drawings:- box 23 surrounds the barrel portion of the fitting Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view 20 and a part of said box is secured to the exthrough a reverse gear embodying the preferred tension 8 by the same bolts 24 that secures the 25 form of the invention and with the parts in neuretainer 21 thereto. tral position wherein no power is being trans- 25 indicates a cup shaped friction clutch memmitted from the driving shaft to the driven shaft. ber having a hub 26 operatively engaged on the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional splined part 13 of the driving shaft 11. Coact- 0 view through the gear case with the parts shown ing therewith is a second friction clutch mem- 30 therein in a position for reverse drive. her 27, the front end part 28 of which embraces Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts the clutch member 25 and is provided with exin a position providing a forward direct drive. ternal clutch teeth 29. The clutch members 25 Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view and 27 are relatively rotatable but are held through the gear as taken on the line 44 of against endwise separation by a thrust washer Fig. 1. and spring locking ring 30, when endwise move- Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal vertical sectional ment is imparted to said members as will later view on an enlarged scale through a part of an appear. The rear end part 31 of the clutch memoverrunning clutch employed in the gear and ber 27 is of reduced diameter and is there prowhich will be more specifically referred to later. vided with internal dedendun teeth 32 and an Referring now in detail to that embodiment of external annular shoulder or rib 33. Between the invention, illsutrated in the accompanying said end parts 31 and 28 of the clutch member drawings:-l indicates as a whole the open top 27, parts 34 and 35 of intermediate diameters casing for the reverse gear which includes an inare provided so that the said clutch member clined bottom wall 2, upright side walls 3 and 4 may be said to be stepped down in diameter and a rear wall 5 and said casing is formed at its from one end to the other. In the part 34 of front end for a bolted on attachment to an engine intermediate diameter is a longitudinal slot 36 6 which includes a crank shaft 7. The rear wall the purpose of which will presently appear. 5 of the casing includes a tubular extension 8 Associated with and surrounding the rear end and near the front end of said casing is provided part 31 of the clutch member 27 is a sleeve or an upright annular bearing plate 9. The open collar 37 having external clutch teeth 38 at its top of the casing is closed by a cover 10, suitably front end and internal clutch teeth 39 at its rear bolted thereto. end which normally engage with the dedendum 11 indicates a tubular shaft that engages at teeth 17 on the tail or driven shaft 14 when 5 its front end in a recess in the associated rear the gear is in neutral. This sleeve or collar while 5 rotative relative to said part 31 of the clutch member 27 is held against endwise separation with respect thereto by means of a spring looking ring 40 that engages the annular shoulder 33 before mentioned.

Associated with the sleeve or collar 3'7 and journalled in the rear end wall 5 of the casing is a bevel gear 41 provided near its front end with internal clutch teeth 42 adapted for engagement by the teeth 38 as will later appear. Associated with and journalled in the bearing plate 9 is a second bevel gear 43 provided near its rear end with internal clutch teeth 44 adapted for engagement by the teeth 29 of the clutch member 2'7 as will later appear. When the parts of the reverse gear as a whole, are in neutral, the teeth 38 are spaced closer to the teeth 42 of the bevel gear 41, than are the teeth 29 with respect to the teeth 44 of the gear 43. Thus in the rearward movement of the clutch member 2'7, the teeth 38-42 engage a little in advance of the engagement between the teeth 29-44.

On each side wall 3 and 4 is provided an inwardly extending tubular stud 45 upon which is journalled a bevel pinion 46, both pinions 46 being in constant mesh with opposite sides of the bevel gears 4143. In each stud 45 is a spring pressed detent pin 45 fora purpose soon to appear.

The clutch members -2'7 coact to provide a chamber or pocket 4'7 to receive a main clutch spring 48. This clutch spring is of such diameter as to normally have a slight clearance with respect tosaid chamber or pocket and the rear end of said spring has an axially extending toe 49 that is anchored in the clutch member 2'7. The front end of said spring has a radially inturned toe 50.

Within the main clutch spring 48 is located a clutch sleeve 51 which surrounds the front end portion of a coacting. clutch sleeve 52 and the rear end of said clutch sleeve 52 bears upon that part 18 of the driven shaft between the teeth 15 and its front end extension 19. In the rear end of said clutch sleeve 52 is provided an annular external groove 53 and on the front end of said sleeve are short internal clutch teeth 54 adapted for engagement with the clutch teeth 12 of the shaft 11 when said sleeve is moved rearward the desired distance. While the clutch sleeves 51-52 are relatively rotatable they are held against separation by a spring ring 55 best shown in Fig. 5.

The said clutch sleeves 51-52 eoact to provide a chamber 56 to receive a secondary or energizing clutch spring 5'7 which is normally of a diameter to be oversize with respect to said chamber. The rear end of said spring 5'! is anchored to the clutch member 52 while the toe 50 on the like end of the main clutch spring 48 extends into a longitudinal groove 51 in the sleeve 51.

A shift collar 58 having an external annular groove 58 slides on the part of the clutch member 27 and carries an inwardly extending pin 59 at the rear end which normally projects through the longitudinal slot 36 into the groove 53 of the clutch member or sleeve 52.

In the cover 10 is mounted a transverse shaft 60 to which a rocking movement may be imparted in any suitable manner. Fixed to this rock shaft is a yoke 61 including diverging arms, each car-. rying a pad 62 engaging in diametrically opposite sides of the annular groove 58 in the shift collar 58. Each arm of the shifter yoke 61 is provided at its bottom end in its exterior face, with a plurality of spaced notches 63 in the desired one of which the associated spring pressed pin before mentioned is adapted to engage to yieldingly hold the shifter yoke either in neutral or in the forward or reverse position into which it has been shifted.

In Fig. 1 the parts of the gear are shown in neutral position. driven, no power is transmitted to the driven or tail shaft because the main clutch spring 48 is not at this time in clutching engagement,

To shift the gear described, into forward, rocking movement is imparted to the shaft 60 to swing the yoke 61 forwardly as shown in Fig. 3 and this of course, will shift the collar 58 in a like direction. By reason of the pin 59 carried by said 001- lar, the clutch member 27 and clutch sleeve 52 are shifted forwardly. This will engage the teeth 54 of the sleeve 52 with the teeth 13 on the driving shaft 11, with a resulting rotation of said sleeve 52. As said sleeve 52 is rotated it will act to unwind the energizing spring 57 which radially expands to clutch the sleeves 5152 together. As the front end of the sleeve 51 has the like end of the main clutch spring 48 operatively connected thereto through the toe and groove 51 said spring is unwound and radially expanded to clutch the clutch members 25-27 together. In the rotation imparted to the sleeve 51 it is pointed out that this radial expansion of the main clutch spring 48 is transmitted from one end to the other thereof progressively through all of the turns thereof so that a positive clutching action is established.

In this shifting of the clutch members, the teeth 32 of the clutch member 27 are caused to engage the clutch teeth 15 on the driven shaft 14 so that now the drive is from the shaft 11 to the clutch member 25 to the clutch member 2'7 (through the clutch spring 48) and from said clutch member 2'7 through its teeth 32 to the teeth 15 of the shaft 14 which is the driven shaft of the gear. As the fitting 20 is splined to the rear end of the driven shaft, it is apparent that the propeller shaft before mentioned as adapted for operative connection to said fitting is likewise driven. Thus the x driven shaft is being driven at the same speed and in the same direction as the driving shaft.

To return the parts to neutral, the shaft is rocked in the other direction and this of course. imparts a rearward shift to the collar 58. In the initial movement of the collar, the pin 59 moves toward the rear of the slot 36 without causing movement of the clutch 2'7 but it does withdraw the teeth 54 of the secondary clutch sleeve 52 from the teeth 13 of the driving shaft, thus relieving the drive into the spring 5'7. Said spring becomes deenergized and in turn deenergizes the main clutch spring 48 which immediately returns to its normal condition wherein it has clearance with respect to its chamber 4'7. Thus driving connection is released between the clutch members 25-27.

To provide reverse, furthr rearward shift of the collar 58 will through the pin 59 cause the clutch members 27 and 25 to move rearwardly, bringing the teeth 38 on the sleeve 3'7 into engagement with the teeth 42 of the bevel gear 41. Simultaneously therewith the teeth 39 on said sleeve will engage the clutch teeth 16 of the driven shaft and immediately thereafter, the teeth 29 on the front end of the clutch member 27 are brought into engagement with the teeth 44 of the bevel gear 43.

Also during this shift of the collar 58, the secondary clutch sleeves 5152 are moved rear- Even with the shaft 11 bein wardly and this brings the teeth 54 of the sleeve 52 into engagement with the teeth 12 of the driving shaft. -Thus the secondary clutch sleeve 52 is driven from the drive shaft and this energizes the spring 5'7 to clutch the secondary clutch sleeves together. When this occurs, the main clutch sleeve is energized and is caused to radially expand to clutch the main clutch members 25 and 2'? together.

Thus the drive is now from the shaft 11 to the clutch members 25-2'7 to, the bevel gear 43 and from this gear to the idler pinions 46 to the bevel gear 41. As the sleeve 38 is operatively engaged with said gear 41 through the teeth 38-42 and as the teeth 39 of this collar are in engagement with the teeth 16 of the driven shaft, it is apparent that the driven shaft is being driven in a reverse direction from the driving shaft without a relative speed reduction.

To shift back into neutral, the collar 58 is shifted forwardly. As the pin'59 carried thereby is at the rear end of the slot 36 in the clutch member 27, it is apparent that in the initial part of the movement of the collar, the secondary clutch sleeves are first moved forwardly and this disengages the teeth 54 of the sleeve 52 from the teeth 12 of the driving shaft. This first deenergizes the clutch spring 57 and then the main clutch spring 48 so that driving connection between the clutch parts 25-27 is released.

In the final part of the shift from reverse to neutral, the clutch members 25-27 are moved forwardly disconnecting the teeth 29 from the teeth 44 of the bevel gear and at the same time shifting the sleeve 37 forwardly, disconnecting the teeth 38 of the same from the teeth 42 of the bevel gear 41. In this movement of the sleeve 37, the teeth 39 thereof are disengaged, from the teeth 16 on the driven shaft.

It is apparent that by means of the reverse gear described, the drive in either forward or reverse is through the action of a clutching spring. Thus when approaching a dock or landing in a boat equipped with our improved gear, it is possible to reduce the speed of the engine and this will permit the driven shaft to overrun the driving shaft so that the propeller will not act as a drag to slow down the movement of the boat in drifting under momentum to the dock or landing. Thus it is not necessary to make so many shifts of the gear when landing or docking as is required in gears where such overrunning action is absent.

Thus the boat is better controlled in making such a landing or docking and the possibility of damage to the boat is materially reduced. Again, wear and tear on the gear is reduced along with the attending objectionable noises.

While in describing the invention, we have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts thereof, the same is to be considered merely as illustrative so that we do 7 not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:-

1. In a reverse gear of the character described, the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in change its diameter and to connect the two mermbers for drive one from the other, means between the complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to the complemental clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the driving shaft, and reversing gearing between said complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch unit is shifted in the other direction the driven shaft is reversely driven by said complemental clutch member.

2. In a reverse gear of the character described, the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction, an overrunning clutch unit shiftable longitudinally of the shafts in either direction and comprising a clutch member connected to be driven by the driving shaft, a relatively rotatable complemental clutch member and a. spiral clutch spring between the two members, means operable in response to shift of the clutch unit in either direction for energizing the clutch spring and causing the same to connect the two clutch members together for drive one from the other, means between the complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to the complemental clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the driving shaft and reversing gearing between said complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch unit is shifted in the other direction the driven shaft is reversely driven by said complemental clutch member.

3. In a reverse gear of the character described, the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction, an overrunning clutch unit shiftable longitudinally of the shafts in either direction from a neutral position and comprising a clutch member connected to be driven by the driving shaft, a relatively rotatable complemental clutch member shaped to form a clutch surface. and a spiral clutch spring between the two clutch members and operatively arranged with respect to said surface, meansfor shifting said unit, energizing means for the spiral clutch spring connected to said shifting means so that it operates in response to shift of the clutch unit in either direction to cause the spring to engage the aforesaid surface and clutch the two members together for drive one from the other, means between the complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to the complemental clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the driving shaft and re-' versing gearing between said complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch unit is shifted in the other direction the driven shaft is reversely driven by said complemental clutch member.

4. In a reverse gear of the character described, the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction, an overrunning clutch unit shiftable longitudinally of the shafts in either direction from a neutral position and comprising a cup-like clutch member connected to be driven by the driving shaft, a relatively rotatable, complemental, cup-like clutch member, and an expansible type clutch spring between the two members, means for shifting the clutch unit, energizing means for the clutch spring connected to the shifting means so that it operates in response to shift of the clutch unit in either direction to expand the spring into clutched relation with the two clutch members so as to cause drive of the complemental clutch member from the first mentioned clutch member, means between the complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to the complemental clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the driving shaft and reversing gearing between said complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch unit is shifted in the other direction the driven shaft is reversely driven by said complemental clutch member.

5. In a reverse gear of the character described, the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction, an overrunning clutch unit shiftable longitudinally of the shafts in either direction from a neutral position and comprising a cup-like clutch member connected to be driven by the driving shaft, a relatively rotatable, complemental, cup-like clutch member forming with the first mentioned clutch member a spring clutch pocket and a main clutch spring disposed in the pocket, means including a secondary and energizing spring for expanding the main clutch spring into gripping relation with the two clutch members when the clutch unit is shifted in either direction, means between the complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to the complemental clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the driving shaft and reversing gearing between said complemental clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch unit is shifted in the other direction the driven shaft is reversely driven by said complemental clutch member.

6. A reverse gear comprising in combination, a driving shaft rotatable in one direction and a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction and having longitudinal splines thereon, a clutch unit between, and shiftable longitudinally of said shafts and including two relatively rotatable clutch members, one of said clutch members being operatively connected to the driving shaft, the other of said clutch members being splined and adapted for engagement with the splines on the driven shaft, means operating automatically in response to relative rotation of said clutch members in one direction for clutching them together, a spline shiftable but relatively rotatable with respect to said other clutch member and adapted for engagement with the other spline on the driven shaft, means for shifting said clutch unit in the desired direction, to cause said spline shiftable with said other clutch member to engage with said other spline on the driven shaft, and means operating automatically 'when said last two mentioned splines are so engaged for driving said spline shiftable with said clutch member in a direction different from that of the driving shaft.

'7. In a reverse gear, the combination of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a clutch mechanism shiftable on said shafts and including a member splined to the driving shaft and a second member.

relatively rotatable with respect thereto and adapted when in one position to be operatively connected to the driven shaft, a main clutch spring operative in a relative rotation of said members in one direction for clutching said members together, means for shifting said clutch mechanism upon said shafts, an energizing spring for the main clutch spring and means actuated bysaid shifting means for operatively connecting said energizing spring to saiddriving shaft for causing said main clutch spring to clutch said two clutch members together.

8. In a reverse gear comprising in combination a casing, a driving shaft and a driven shaft having spaced splines thereon, spaced bevel gears journalled in the casing and so operatively connected together as to rotate in opposite directions, a clutch mechanism shiftable on said shafts and including two relatively rotatable clutch members, a main clutch spring for clutching said members together, one of said members having a splined connection with the driving shaft and the other clutch member having teeth at one end adapted for engagement with mating teeth on said bevel gears and having teeth at the other end adapted for engagement with one of said splines on the driven shaft, a spline longitudinally movable but rotative with respect to said other clutch member and adapted when said clutch member is in one limit of its movement for engagement with said other bevel gear and the other spline on the driving shaft, means for shifting said clutch mechanism and means operative when said clutch mechanism has been shifted to its limit in either direction for energizing the main clutch spring from the driving shaft to clutch said two members together.

9. In a reverse gear of the character described the combination of a driving shaft rotatable in one direction, a coaxial driven shaft rotatable in either direction, an overrunning clutch unit shiftable longitudinally of the shafts in either direction and including a pair of complemental clutch members one of which is connected to be driven by the driving shaft, and means operative in response to shift of the unit in either direction to connect the two members for drive one from the other, means between the other clutch members and the driven shaft whereby when the unit is shifted in one direction said driven shaft is connected to said other clutch member for drive thereby in the same direction as the drivingshaft, and means between said other clutch member and the driven shaft whereby when the clutch member is shifted in the other direction the gear shaft is reversely driven by said other clutch member.

CLARENCE H. BARTON. CHARLES DREXLER. 

